I have determined its mass, its density, and the force of gravity

at its surface."



"A laborious problem," remarked Count Timascheff.

"Laborious or not, it has to be accomplished. I am resolved



to find out what my comet weighs."

"Would it not be of some assistance, if we knew of what substance



it is composed?" asked the lieutenant.

"That is of no moment at all," replied the professor;



"the problem is independent of it."

"Then we await your orders," was the captain's reply.



"You must understand, however," said Rosette, "that there are various

preliminary calculations to be made; you will have to wait till



they are finished."

"As long as you please," said the count.



"No hurry at all," observed the captain, who was not in the least

impatient to continue his mathematical exercises.



"Then, gentlemen," said the astronomer, "with your leave we

will for this purpose make an appointment a few weeks hence.



What do you say to the 62d of April?"

Without noticing the general smile which the novel date provoked,



the astronomer left the hall, and retired to his observatory.

CHAPTER V



WANTED: A STEELYARD

Under the still diminishing influence of the sun's attraction,



but without let or hindrance, Gallia continued its interplanetary course,

accompanied by Nerina, its captured satellite, which performed its



fortnightly revolutions with unvarying regularity.

Meanwhile, the question beyond all others important was ever



recurring to the minds of Servadac and his two companions:

were the astronomer's calculations correct, and was there a sound



foundation for his prediction that the comet would again touch

the earth? But whatever might be their doubts or anxieties,



they were fain to keep all their misgivings to themselves;

the professor was of a temper far too cross-grained for them



to venture to ask him to revise or re-examine the results

of his observations.



The rest of the community by no means shared in their uneasiness.

Negrete and his fellow-countrymen yielded to their destiny



with philosophicalindifference. Happier and better provided

for than they had ever been in their lives, it did not give



them a passing thought, far less cause any serious concern,

whether they were still circling round the sun, or whether they



were being carried right away within the limits of another system.

Utterly careless of the future, the majos, light-hearted as ever,



carolled out their favorite songs, just as if they had never

quitted the shores of their native land.



Happiest of all were Pablo and Nina. Racing through the galleries

of the Hive, clambering over the rocks upon the shore, one day



skating far away across the frozen ocean, the next fishing

in the lake that was kept liquid by the heat of the lava-torrent,



the two children led a life of perpetual enjoyment.

Nor was their recreation allowed to interfere with their studies.



Captain Servadac, who in common with the count really liked them both,

conceived that the responsibilities of a parent in some degree



had devolved upon him, and took great care in superintending

their daily lessons, which he succeeded in making hardly less



pleasant than their sports.

Indulged and loved by all, it was little wonder that young



Pablo had no longing for the scorching plains of Andalusia,

or that little Nina had lost all wish to return with her pet



goat to the barren rocks of Sardinia. They had now a home

in which they had nothing to desire.



"Have you no father nor mother?" asked Pablo, one day.

"No," she answered.



"No more have I," said the boy, "I used to run along by the side

of the diligences when I was in Spain."



"I used to look after goats at Madalena," said Nina;

"but it is much nicer here--I am so happy here.



I have you for a brother, and everybody is so kind.

I am afraid they will spoil us, Pablo," she added, smiling.



"Oh, no, Nina; you are too good to be spoiled, and when I am with you,

• whenever [wen´evə] conj.&ad.无论何时 (初中英语单词)


• atmosphere [´ætməsfiə] n.大气；空气；气氛 (初中英语单词)


• existence [ig´zistəns] n.存在；生存；生活 (初中英语单词)


• occasional [ə´keiʒənəl] a.偶然的；临时的 (初中英语单词)


• nervous [´nə:vəs] a.神经的；神经过敏的 (初中英语单词)


• arrival [ə´raivəl] n.到达；到达的人(物) (初中英语单词)


• interview [´intəvju:] n.&vt.接见；会见；交谈 (初中英语单词)


• considerable [kən´sidərəbəl] a.重要的；值得重视 (初中英语单词)


• lieutenant [lef´tenənt] n.陆军中尉；代理；副手 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• compass [´kʌmpəs] n.指南针；圆规 (初中英语单词)


• unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)


• altitude [´æltitju:d] n.高度；海拨 (初中英语单词)


• measurement [´meʒəmənt] n.测量；尺寸；宽度 (初中英语单词)


• estimate [´estimət, ´estimeit] n.估计；评价 vt.估价 (初中英语单词)


• volume [´vɔlju:m, ´vɑljəm] n.卷；书籍；体积；容量 (初中英语单词)


• reckon [´rekən] v.计算；认为；估计 (初中英语单词)


• multiply [´mʌltiplai] v.增加；倍增；繁殖 (初中英语单词)


• pointed [´pɔintid] a.尖(锐)的；中肯的 (初中英语单词)


• supposed [sə´pəuzd] a.想象的；假定的 (初中英语单词)


• orderly [´ɔ:dəli] a.整洁的 n.勤务兵 (初中英语单词)


• passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)


• actual [´æktʃuəl] a.现实的；实际的 (初中英语单词)


• assistance [ə´sistəns] n.协作；援助；帮助 (初中英语单词)


• whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)


• temper [´tempə] n.韧度 v.锻炼；调和 (初中英语单词)


• venture [´ventʃə] n.投机 v.冒险；敢于 (初中英语单词)


• careless [´keəlis] a.粗心的；草率的 (初中英语单词)


• frozen [´frəuzn] freeze 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• liquid [´likwid] n.液体 a.流动的 (初中英语单词)


• interfere [,intə´fiə] vi.干涉；妨碍；打扰 (初中英语单词)


• barren [´bærən] a.贫瘠的；不生育的 (初中英语单词)


• astronomer [ə´strɔnəmə] n.天文学家 (高中英语单词)


• calendar [´kælində] n.日历；月历；历法 (高中英语单词)


• consciousness [´kɔnʃəsnis] n.意识；觉悟；知觉 (高中英语单词)


• leisure [´leʒə] n.空闲；悠闲；安定 (高中英语单词)


• sphere [sfiə] n.圆体；天体；范围 (高中英语单词)


• preface [´prefis] n.序 v.开始；导致 (高中英语单词)


• stiffly [´stifli] ad.硬；顽固地 (高中英语单词)


• resentment [ri´zentmənt] n.不满；怨恨；忿恨 (高中英语单词)


• approximately [ə´prɔksimətli] ad.近似地，几乎正确地 (高中英语单词)


• diameter [dai´æmitə] n.直径 (高中英语单词)


• specific [spi´sifik] a.具体的；特有的 (高中英语单词)


• finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)


• inclination [,inkli´neiʃən] n.倾斜；爱好；天资 (高中英语单词)


• conspicuous [kən´spikjuəs] a.显著的；出众的 (高中英语单词)


• telescope [´teliskəup] n.望远镜 (高中英语单词)


• sensitive [´sensitiv] a.敏感的；感光的 (高中英语单词)


• community [kə´mju:niti] n.团体；社区；公众 (高中英语单词)


• indifference [in´difrəns] n.冷淡；无足轻重 (高中英语单词)


• perpetual [pə´petʃuəl] a.永恒的；终身的 (高中英语单词)


• recreation [,rekri´eiʃən] n.消遣；休养 (高中英语单词)


• longing [´lɔŋiŋ] n.&a.渴望(的) (高中英语单词)


• eventually [i´ventʃuəli] ad.最后，终于 (英语四级单词)


• terminate [´tə:mineit] v.终止，结束 (英语四级单词)


• unaware [,ʌnə´weə] a.不知道的；不觉察的 (英语四级单词)


• circumference [sə´kʌmfərəns] n.圆周；周围；(圆)周线 (英语四级单词)


• equator [i´kweitə] n.赤道 (英语四级单词)


• delighted [di´laitid] a.高兴的；喜欢的 (英语四级单词)


• submission [səb´miʃən] n.屈服；谦恭 (英语四级单词)


• impatiently [im´peiʃəntli] ad.不耐烦地，急躁地 (英语四级单词)


• magnitude [´mægnitju:d] n.宏大；重要性；大小 (英语四级单词)


• accomplished [ə´kʌmpliʃt] a.完成了的；熟练的 (英语四级单词)


• prediction [pri´dikʃən] n.预告；(气象等)预报 (英语四级单词)


• revise [ri´vaiz] vt.修订；修改 (英语四级单词)


• systematic [,sisti´mætik] a.有系统的，成体系的 (英语六级单词)


• monotony [mə´nɔtəni] n.单音；单调 (英语六级单词)


• collision [kə´liʒən] n.碰幢；冲突；互撞事件 (英语六级单词)


• sanguine [´sæŋgwin] a.血红的 n.血红色 (英语六级单词)


• enthusiast [in´θju:ziæst] n.热衷者，渴慕者 (英语六级单词)


• salutation [,sælju´teiʃ(ə)n] n.招呼，致意；行礼 (英语六级单词)


• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)


• density [´densiti] n.浓(稠)密；密度 (英语六级单词)


• vouchsafe [vautʃ´seif] v.赐予；俯允 (英语六级单词)


• radius [´reidiəs] n.辐射光线；半径范围 (英语六级单词)


• applied [ə´plaid] a.实用的，应用的 (英语六级单词)


• manifestly [´mænifestli] ad.明显的 (英语六级单词)


• laborious [lə´bɔ:riəs] a.吃力的 (英语六级单词)


• mathematical [,mæθə´mætikəl] a.数学的；精确的 (英语六级单词)


• retired [ri´taiəd] a.退休的；通职的 (英语六级单词)


• hindrance [´hindrəns] n.障碍，妨碍 (英语六级单词)


• satellite [´sætəlait] n.(人造)卫星；随从 (英语六级单词)


• philosophical [,filə´sɔfikəl] a.哲学(上)的；冷静的 (英语六级单词)